Gentle Hands, an Avatar fanfiction
by b1uski3sxox
Summary: Nothing much has ever been said about Aang's family... until now. Constructive criticism is much appreciated!
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar...

Yeah, sorry if the title's not good... "Gentle Hands" is a song that's been stuck in my head for like a week now...

ON WITH THE STORY!

**Prologue**

_How did I get myself into this?_

I stood at one end of a very short table and nervously looked over at the man on the other side. "He's no match for you," I kept telling myself. Yes, I know that... but then why do I feel so scared?

No time for that now. I took a deep breath and grasped my staff with both hands.

"This should be over soon." He chuckled menacingly from the other end of the table. I gulped and charged full speed to the other side of the table and took a swing at the man, knocking him off the table. Unfortunately, as I swung, he let out a roar, and fire singed my left arm. I let out a yelp- I'd never been burned before... I could barely feel my arm, and didn't want to look at it, either.

He slammed into one of the dark red columns directly across from the table, nearly knocking the breath out of him.

"You'll pay for that." He hissed, getting back up and chucking fireball after fireball at me. I tried to remember what I saw the other monks doing at the temples- they twirled their staff super-fast, and apparently the air currents blew away the- whoa, that's hot. The fireball flew past at the speed of sound, further damaging my arm. I winced and charged again, trying to ignore the searing pain.

I saw a small hole in the wood floor, probably from the impact when he landed on it. Perfect, I thought.

Gaining speed, I could see another fireball forming in his hands. Sheesh, is this all he knows how to do?

I planted the bottom of my staff in the broken floor and flung myself halfway around him, jabbing my feet back and kicking him to the ground. I recovered my staff and pressed the other side of it onto his chest. He paused for about half a second, then just as I was about to finish this once and for all, he grabbed my staff with his hand and jerked it forward, flinging me across the room this time.

I managed to get back up after what seemed like an hour, and looked up. Where was my staff?

Oh, no.

I saw him standing on the other side of the room, my staff in his hands. He snapped it like it was a twig and got in some position I'd never seen before. Of course, I'd never studied firebending all that much before, so go figure.

Suddenly, bright light began flashing around him. Was that--- lightning?

As soon as I thought the word, I could already see the pure white electricity heading towards me. I closed my eyes. Yeah, like that would help, genius.

Suddenly, the searing pain that was in my arm surged all over my body, five hundred times hotter at the least.

My life was over. I failed.

I collapsed on the ground, my heart beating a marathon out, my lungs had no air left, my brain was not willing to fill them again...

"I'm sorry." I mouthed, knowing whom I wanted to hear it, couldn't. My desperate attempt at breathing had failed, the searing pain burning hotter by the second, my heart no longer beating.

_I'm sorry..._


	2. Chapter 1

I posted this one fairly soon... because I, myself, couldn't even wait! Thanks so much for reviewing, FLASOK and Emily1237! You both really made my days! :)

Yeah, I stink at writing fight scenes, probably because the prologue was really the first fight scene I've ever written... but I'll practice my action-writing while you read this chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it...

**Chapter 1**

~Yuki's Point of View, 10 years before Aang ran away and froze himself in the iceberg~

I woke up to the birds chirping outside my window. I stared out and looked over the Northern Air Temple- it's nice having a room on the top floor of our house... there's the lady who feeds the sky bison, and the monks fixing fruit pies in preparation for a visit from the Southern temple. If I eavesdropped right, they're coming to search for the new reincarnation of the Avatar, so all children 2 and under have to report to them... that means my little brother, Aang, too.

I made my way down to his room- Mom and Dad probably wouldn't be up this early...

"Good morning, Aang!" I greeted him quietly, being careful not to wake up our parents in the next room.

"Yui!!!" He squealed, standing up in his crib and reaching for me. I picked him up and held him in my arms.

"You know what today is?" I asked him.

"No."

"Today, we get a visit from the Southern Air Temple!" I said.

"Oh."

"You aren't exited?"

"No..." He mumbled.

"Aww. Why not?"

"They bo-wing." He said flatly.

"Well..." I tried to hold back a laugh. Barely a toddler, and already he knew what 'boring' meant. I'd taught him well... "They may be boring, but it's mandatory."

"What dat mean?"

"Well... it means it's got to happen, no matter what. It's official."

"Mmf..."

"Don't worry, you just go to meet them, stay for, like, five minutes, then you leave. No problem." I remembered going through the same thing when I was around his age... not that fun, but thank goodness I got to stay here.

"Yuki, honey?" I heard Mom's voice from the doorway. I spun around to see her dressed in her formal clothes. "The monks are here."

"Already??" I groaned, staring down at my pajamas. Why don't people warn me about these types of things?

"Aww-weddy?" Aang repeated my groan.

"Hee-hee, yes, Aang. Here, let me take him." Mom outstretched her arms and I handed Aang to her.

"Give me, like, five minutes, okay? I can get dressed-" I walked out in the hallway to see one of the old Southern monks there. "Oh. Um. Heh heh. Honor to be in your presence, sir." I bowed awkwardly.

"As always, it's good to see you, Yuki." He bowed to me. "Shall we get on with it?"

"Sure, Gyatso." Mom replied. I swear, she knows, like, half of all the people down at the Southern temple...

We were led back to the living room, where some more monks walked in, carrying bags of toys. Apparently, Aang was supposed to pick four toys, and based on which ones he picked, they would determine whether he was the Avatar or not.

"Here you go, sweetie." Mom sat him down on a mat as the monks laid out what seemed to be hundreds of different toys, all in two neat lines.

"Pick four toys. Whichever ones you like the most." One of them- Gyatso, I think- said.

"Ooh!" Aang toddled from one side of the toys to the other. He picked up a little clay statue of a turtle and ran over to me, tugging on my robe.

"Look!" He squealed. "Issa turtle!"

"Yes, that is!" I crouched down to his level. "And a fine turtle at that. Do you like it?"

"Hee-hee, yes!" He laughed, putting the turtle back down on the mat. He continued looking at the toys. After a while, he found another little statue- this time of what looked to be a monkey.

"Monkey! Ooh-ooh-aah-aah!" He did his comedic impression of a monkey and sat the little figure next to the turtle on the mat. He immediately went over to this little propeller toy.

"What dis do?" He pulled a string on it, and the propeller went flying off, spinning like a top and bouncing off the floor.

"Oh, how fun!" I clapped my hands as he put the propeller back in the toy.

"I fixed it, Yui, look!" Aang proudly held out his handiwork.

"Very nice." I nodded, and he put the toy back on the mat. I saw some of the monks looking at each other. One of them nodded as if saying, "just wait."

Aang toddled over to a rattle with yellow and red swirls on it. He shook it, and it made a jingling sound.

"Ooh." He walked over to me again and shook the rattle. "Pretty sound, Yui!"

"Mm-hmm!" I nodded, and Aang went and put the rattle back on the mat.

"That's four." One of the monks stood up. "Mrs. Sumiko, if I may speak with you."

He led Mom out into the hall, leaving me, Aang, and one of the monks.

"If you don't mind, I think I'm just gonna go..." I walked in the direction of the bathroom. Once I was out of sight, I took a turn and headed for the hallway, pressing my ear to the walls.

"What do you mean, he's the one?" Mom asked.

"He picked the toys. Out of hundreds, he picked the four toys." Gyatso replied.

"He... he can't be."

"But he is."

"Wha... what happens next?" Mom asked.

"I'm afraid we will have to take him to the Southern Air Temple-"

"No. You're not taking my baby."

"Please, Mrs. Sumiko, you must understand. No Avatar has ever been raised in a family. They have always been taken away when they are young."

"And why is that? Aang deserves to have a family." I mistakingly walked out into the hall.

"Yuki, please, go back to the living room." Mom shook her head, and a tear slid down her cheek.

"Mom-"

"Yuki, please."

"..." Not able to find the right way to start, I went back to the living room.

"Evewyfing okay, Yui?" Aang asked.

"Yes. Everything's just fine." I blinked away some tears and held Aang in my arms. _They couldn't just take him away..._

**---**

When will I learn how to write long chapters? **WHEN**?? I'm not much of a 'descriptive' person, so there's not much to fill the pages, I know... if you enjoyed it (or if you thought it stunk), please review saying what you liked (or hated) about it!


	3. Chapter 2

Yaaagh, sorry I haven't posted in so long. Homeschooling started up for me, and it's been busy... in fact, I'm supposed to be working on a book report now, actually, LOL.

Sorry for the filler chapter... next chapter will be longer, I promise!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it...

**Chapter 2**

After a few minutes, Mom came back into the room, Gyatso right behind her. Her eyes were red and puffy, and tears still streamed down her face.

"Here, let me put him down for a nap." She said to me. I gave her Aang, and she walked out of the room.

"When are you going to take him?" I asked Gyatso.

"Tonight."

I stopped in my tracks. Tonight? Seriously?

"You have to be joking." I half-shouted back at him. "Tonight?!"

"Yes. Unfortunately, we must take him as soon as possible-"

"Why?" I know the Air Temple customs say you shouldn't interrupt your elders, but this was probably one of the exceptions.

"Yuki, please, you must understand-"

"Understand what? Aang needs a family. Where in the rules does it say that the Avatar cannot have a family?"

"Section 3A-" The other monk began to say, but Gyatso silenced him.

"It's best if he does not have any interferences during his training." Gyatso began again.

I rolled my eyes. "Interferences? Family is an interference now? Well, pardon me if I thought otherwise."

"Yuki, honey, please don't say anything else." Mom walked back into the room. "Gyatso is right."

"You're taking his side?" I gestured to Gyatso. "I can't believe you! Don't you want Aang to have a family?" "Yuki, all the past Avatars haven't had families-"

"So? That doesn't mean Aang shouldn't have a family to rely on, to talk to, to love. You expect him to be happy living with people he's never met before in his life?"

"I understand your feelings about this, Yuki." Gyatso said.

"What?"

"I understand that you want Aang to have a family, but it's impossible."

"... impossible? Ha! He's right in the next room. He has a family now, and that's the way it'll always be. I'm not going to let you take him." I folded my arms over my chest, hoping my attempt at an argument had worked.

"Yuki Atsuko Sumiko, go to your room this instant, young lady." Mom said, her voice cracking. She was crying again.

"Mom-"

"Go!"

I left the room without another word.

On the way down the hall, I stopped by Aang's room. He was standing up in his crib, gripping the edges.

"Yui!" He squealed when he saw me.

"Hi, Aang." I mumbled, walking over to the crib.

"Can't sweep. Sing to me?" He asked.

"I'm not feeling too good today, Aang."

"Pwease?" He stared up at me with those big gray eyes of his. I don't see how anyone could resist them... maybe he could convince the monks to let him stay here... nah, probably not.

"*sigh* fine, I'll sing to you." I smiled as I picked him up and sat down in the old rocking chair.

"Sing!" He squealed. I shushed him; mom would probably ground me for life at this point if she caught me spending time with Aang.

"Drawn in by an unseen cold hand,

I pass even time,

As it flows to eternity,

As your eyes look away,

Into the hazy distance,

What is revealed to them,

I cannot see."

In an instant, Aang was fast asleep in my arms.

**---**

LAME ENDING TO A SHORT CHAPTER, YAY! Sorry. Didn't know how else to end it... and yes, the lyrics to that song are the ones of the song that is STILL STUCK IN MY HEAD!!! YAAAAGH. (screams into pillow)

Okay, I'm good now. Sorry that chapter wasn't that good, though...

Please review if you liked it, hated it, or don't know what to think of it! Your reviews make my day and motivate me to write more often, so click that button down there! I have anonymous reviews enabled, so you don't have to log in if you're feeling lazy.


	4. Chapter 3

Sorry for the suckish last chapter. XD I finished my book report, so I should be able to keep writing until, like, Monday (that should be enough for a chapter or two... we'll see!)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it...

**Chapter 3**

*That night!*

I sat in my bed, staring out at the starry sky, trying to count the constellations to keep my mind off of what was going on just outside my door.

"Yuki?" I mentally slapped myself. All this time, and I hadn't even taken my father into consideration.

"What is it?" I asked bitterly.

"I just thought you'd like to come out and say goodbye to Aang..." He mumbled.

"No. I can't." I absent-mindedly picked some petals off one of the flowers growing right outside the window.

He sat down next to me. "Yuki, please, it'd mean a lot to Aang if you said goodbye."

"I-it's too painful. I'll never see him again." I shook my head, feeling the tears start to run down my face.

"You're his sister, Yuki. He'd love to see you just one last time."

"... I suppose so." I mumbled, getting up and briskly heading down the hallway, Dad trailing right behind me.

"Yu-ki!" Aang squealed when we reached him. One of the monks was holding him, and he didn't seem too happy about it. Did he just pronounce my name right? For the first and last time I'll ever get to hear it...

"Hi, Aang." I said, trying to sound as happy as possible.

"Why you sad, Yu-ki?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Aang." I shook my head and wiped the tears away from my eyes. I looked up at the monk holding him. "Could I...?"

"Sure." He handed Aang to me, seeming relieved to be free of the squirming toddler for a moment.

"Goodbye, Aang." I held my baby brother tight.

"Goo-bye? Where you go-in?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Aang. You're going to... to the Southern Air Temple. It'll be fun." I mumbled.

"You be there, Yu-ki?"

I blinked away some more tears. "No, Aang, I probably won't be there."

"Why?"

"A-hem." The monk cleared his throat and nodded his head towards the clock.

"Right." I nodded slightly, then went back to trying to comfort Aang.

"You visit me, Yu-ki?" He asked.

"No. I probably won't be able to. I'm sorry, Aang... but no matter what, never forget your family. Never forget us, Aang." I whispered, barely loud enough for myself to hear.

"I never forget you, Yu-ki!" Aang squealed, grasping the sleeve of my shirt.

"And I'll never, ever forget you, Aang." I whispered, kissing his cheek and handing him back to the monk.

"Bye-bye!" Aang waved as they carried him down the hall to the flying bison outside.

"Goodbye, Aang." I waved back, trying my best not to burst out into tears. I couldn't believe it. They were taking my brother away, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I tried to make the moment last forever, tried to cherish every last second he was in my sight. It wasn't until he took off on the flying bison that I realized he was truly gone.

Forever.

*Aang's Point of View Now!*

(A.N. tried to write this from a toddler's point of view... I can't remember when I was a toddler, so please excuse me.)

Whee!

I was flying! It was so much fun! I was on a big fluffy cow with an arrow on his head! He was really soft, but the people in the orange robes would always pull me away when I tried to petted him. They told me we were going far, far away, to the South Temper! They said it was going to be fun! I can't wait for big sister Yuki to get there! Me and her will have so much fun, and we'll play games and bake fruit pies and have lotsa fun!

Whenever I askded the people in the orange robes about big sister Yuki, they always said she didn't come, but I don't believed them! Big sister Yuki will come, I know it! She and I are bestest friends!

Finally, they just said that big sister Yuki was going to be there when we got to the Temper, so I suppose they were just trying to keep it a surprise! I love surprises, so I can see where they were apposed to be going with that joke.

We finally arrived at the Temper, and I couldn't wait to get off and see big sister Yuki! The Temper was bigger then the North one, but still looked about the same, I suppose.

"Where Yu-ki?" I asked the people in the orange robes.

"You tell him, Lee. You were the one who said she'd be here." One of them said. I think they rolleded their eyes, but I couldn't really see. I was looking for big sister Yuki! She had to be around here somewhere! Right?

"Um... Aang?" One of the people in the orange robes said.

"Yeah? You know where Yu-ki went?" I squealed. I could hardly wait!

"Um... I'm terribly sorry, Aang, but... Yuki isn't coming. She's not allowed here. She has to stay back at the Northern Air Temple." He said.

"... Yu-ki not coming?" I asked. Big sister Yuki had to come!

"No, I'm afraid not, Aang. I'm sorry."

Yuki had to come! She had to come, she had to come!

"Yu-ki have to come!" I shouted. "She have to come, she have to come!"

"Umm... here, you take him, Lee." One of the people in the orange robes said, handing me to another one of them.

"Where Yu-ki?!" I screamed.

Yuki had to come...

**---**

I don't know why, but I cried while writing this chapter. I'm a total sucker, I know... OH MY GOSH, LOOK AT THAT SPIDER! *SOB*

Sorry, sorry. I'd like to think this is one of the saddest things I've ever written! Yay!! *blows nose on tissue*

I had a hard time writing from Aang's point of view, though, as you may have seen... I have a little sister, though, so I took part of the grammar from what she used when she was younger.

And I'm typing too much, so I'm going to stop and start writing the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 4

Here's the next chapter! Thanks for reviewing, everyone!! :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it...

**Chapter 4**

*Yuki's Point Of View again!*

*3 years (yes, 3 years) later!*

You can do this, Yuki. You can--

Who am I kidding? I can't. No, I can't. I should just go back to my room. No, I won't go back to my room! Wait, whose side am I on?

I sighed. This was proving to be much harder than I initially thought it was.

I paced back and forth in front of my parents' door. I so badly wanted to just knock and tell them what I was going to do... and I also so badly wanted to just go back to my room and curl up into a ball and die.

I told myself once again. You can do this, Yuki. You're right- er, I'm right. I can do this!

Before I could think any more, I sheepishly knocked on the old wooden door.

"Yes?" My mother's voice chimed from the other side.

"Um..." I turned the handle and peeked into the room. Mom and dad were sitting at the table in the corner of the room, eating what appeared to be oatmeal. Yuck.

"Yuki, what's wrong?" Dad asked.

"Well... I'm just gonna go." I turned around and started heading out the door.

"Hold it right there, young lady." Mom commanded, and I stopped in my tracks. "What is it?"

"I..." I turned around, mom giving me the 'bore-holes-through-your-head' look, making me regret ever thinking of asking them.

I stared down at my shoes, slightly swaying back and forth as I thought of the right words to say.

"I... I wanna leave." I mumbled. Though I tried to be as quiet as possible about it, I could still hear my words echoing off the old stone walls. Dang it.

"What did you say?"

"I don't want to stay here anymore. I... I want to go to the Earth Kingdom." I whispered.

"Ha!" Mom and dad laughed at the same time, their voices crashing together to make probably one of the loudest known sounds in the world.

I kept staring at my shoes.

"You know very well, young lady, that we are not leaving here." Mom said.

"Not we. Me. I want to go... alone." I said.

"Excuse me?" Mom asked.

"I want to go to the Earth Kingdom and live there."

"And may I ask why?"

"I hate it here." I mumbled. "I want to get a job. And here, the only jobs girls can do is feed the flying bison, but in the Earth Kingdom, I could get a really good job, like I could be an architect, or a doctor, or a zoologist-"

"You are not leaving, Yuki. You are going to stay right here." Dad interrupted me. I hate when people do that, even if they're my parents...

"No, I'm not going to stay here. I'm 16. You can't tell me what to do anymore. I am going to go live in the Earth Kingdom." I said, resisting the urge to stomp my foot.

"What brought this on?" Mom asked, arms crossed across her chest.

"N-nothing. I just want to leave. Now. I have a bad feeling about something... I don't know what it is, I just feel like I have to get out of here."

"Well, I'm sorry then, because you're not leaving."

"Why not?"

"You grew up here, Yuki. All your ancestors grew up here. You wouldn't last a day in the Earth Kingdom. It's so immensely populated, and it's such a large continent... where would you live? What job would you have? How would you pay for food?" Dad asked.

"Please, mom, dad! I don't want to be here! I want to do something with my life. I want to be independent. I am going to leave, and there is nothing you can do about it." I turned around on my heel and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind me. It made a hollow cracking sound as it hit the jamb.

I headed back to my room and started to pack my stuff.

Wait...

What'd I just get myself into?

***Aang's Point Of View!***

Yuki never came...

I waited and waited for months and years, but she never came.

Why didn't she come?

I lay in my bed one night, staring up at the patterns on the ceiling. Paintings of sky bison and airbenders and the occasional dragon.

Didn't she know I needed her?

I missed her so much... I could barely remember her face, her voice...

"Hey, Aang, don't fall asleep! I thought we were having a sleepover!" Kuzon jumped up on my bed, rocking it violently. I thought I was going to fall off!

"If I'm not apposed to fall asleep, then why is it called a sleepover?" I asked him.

"Because... adults made that word. And you know adults make no sense."

"Yeah..." I stared out the window. "Kuzon, do you have a family?"

"Well, duh. I have my mom and my dad and my sister and a cat who sheds on everything." He replied.

"What's your sister like?"

"Evil. Why do you ask?"

"Hmm. It's just that... I think I had a sister once." I mumbled.

"Really?"

"Yes... I can't remember her that well."

"Was she cute?" He asked.

"I don't know... I can't remember what she looked like-- wait, why do you want to know if she's cute or not?"

"Mm-mm." Kuzon shrugged. "You can't blame me for being curious. Anyway, why are you so... de-press about her?"

"She never came..."

"What?"

"I remember living at the Northern Air Temple... one day, the monks came and took me, but Yuki didn't come with them."

"Who's Yuki?" Kuzon asked.

"My sister. Pay attention!" I shouted.

"Sorry, sorry."

"Anyway, I don't know why she didn't come... I don't know what happened to her, or where she is now..."

"Mah, don't worry about it." Kuzon shrugged and headed back over to his bed on the other side of the room.

"Don't worry about it? Were you even listening?!"

"Yeah. Don't worry. You'll see her again sometime."

"But... what if I don't?" I asked, dreading the thought.

"You will! Now, go to sleep!"

"Okay. But I thought this was a sleepover."

"It is! Now, sleep!"

"Fine, fine." I rolled over and pulled the sheets over my head. Sometimes Kuzon really confused me.

**---**

Wow, longest chapter I've written yet! I think! This calls for a sandwich!

Anywhoooo... I think I made Aang and Kuzon too mature for 5-year-olds. Oh, well.

I didn't really know much about Kuzon, so I just guessed at what his personality might've been like, and he ended up basically being a little mini-Zuko... (LOL, little poke at the Blue Spirit episode... what with Aang talking about Kuzon, then out of nowhere, asking Zuko if he could've been friends with Aang if they knew each other back then...)

Well, I'm just typing this as I'm putting off reading some Robinson Crusoe, so I'd better get started on that. As soon as I start on the next chapter.

If you made it through that extra-long chapter (in my opinion), please tell me what you thought of it! Click that little button down there that says "review this story/chapter"!! Whether you're signed in or not, I love reading your reviews! :)


	6. Chapter 5

I feel both overjoyed and completely stupid right now... I think I just realized what "AU" means! Alternate Universe, right? I think? Maybe...? That would make sense... I think... maybe not. XD

Anywho, here's the next chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it...

**Chapter 5**

*Yuki's Point Of View ONCE AGAIN!*

As I packed up my stuff, I could barely hear mom lecturing me about "you can't leave, the boat ride's long and their food's not good," and blah blah blah. I was lecturing myself for getting into this.

But, no turning back now, I suppose. And I really did want to get out of here.

I finished packing up my stuff just as mom finished her lecture.

"-- and that is why you are not leaving, Yuki."

"Mom, please." I begged her one last time. "I'm almost an adult-"

"Almost! That's the key word there, Yuki. You can't leave!"

"I am leaving. Right now. Sorry."

"Please, Yuki, I can't bear to lose another child of mine." Mom whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks. I sighed and stared up at the ceiling. Of course... why didn't I think of this?

"Mom, I'll be okay. I'll write you all the time." I placed my free hand on her shoulder. "I promise. Nothing's going to happen."

I stared into her eyes. There was quite an awkward pause, and then she blinked and smiled.

"You're so mature for your age, Yuki... I know you'll be fine." She said. Then why did you just spend the past half hour lecturing me about how I wouldn't be fine, I wanted to ask her.

Just then, she hugged me so tightly, I honestly believed she'd break my neck.

"M-mom." I choked, patting her on the back.

"Sorry." She pulled back suddenly, and I tried to gain back the oxygen that once inhabited my body.

"You're all grown up now, Yuki..." Mom mumbled, starting to cry again. "Just please promise me you won't get yourself into trouble."

"Don't worry, mom, you know I'd never do that." I shook my head slowly, then hugged mom tightly (but probably not nearly half as tightly as she hugged me in the first place).

"I love you, mom." I whispered.

"I love you too, Yuki. Very, very much." She whispered back as dad appeared in the doorway.

"Oookay, why are you two hugging? And why does Yuki have her bags packed? Please tell me we're just taking a vacation." He said.

"Jiroji, I think that Yuki should be able to live in the Earth Kingdom." Mom nodded.

"... what?"

"Dad, please, I'm old enough to provide for myself. I'll be just fine." I pleaded.

"Well, I know that. It's just that... isn't your mother against that-"

"No, I agree wholeheartedly with her." Mom said.

"... really? Huh. Okay, then..."

"I love you, dad." I embraced him tightly. Wow, I'm using that word a lot today.

"I-I love you too." He said. "But, isn't it a long way to the Earth Kingdom from here?"

"Dad, I'll be fine." I almost groaned.

"Okay, I got it." He let me go, and I started heading down the hallway.

"Wait, you're leaving now?" I heard dad's voice halfway to the door.

"Yes, I'll be fine!" I spun around. "Bye."

"Goodbye, Yuki." Mom and dad waved as I headed out the door. I walked over to my sky bison. Though only a couple years old, she could still carry me and probably two other people.

"Rrf!" She greeted me. I'd come to know that, roughly, in sky bison language, "rrf" meant "got any apples?" Luckily, I came prepared, pulled an apple out of my bag, and tossed it to her. She jumped up and caught it mid-air before landing with an earth-rumbling "thud" on the stone floors of the temple's garden.

"Nice to see you again." I walked over to her and petted her head. "You think you could handle flying me to the Earth Kingdom?"

"Rrf?" She mumbled, which I do believe meant "apples?"

"There will be apples." I nodded.

"Rrf!" She jumped up and landed with a "thud" again, this time on the remainders of a fruit pie.

"Okay, okay, calm down." I said, climbing up on the saddle. I set my stuff down and tied it to the saddle- I had no idea how windy it would be, or if it'd rain. Ooh, rain... I probably should've packed an umbrella. Oh, well, too late now.

"All right, girl." I hopped up on the front of the saddle and grabbed the reins. "Yip, yip!"

There was a very awkward pause while she examined the foot that had landed in the fruit pie.

"We'll wash it off later, girl. Yip, yip!" I shouted.

"Rrf!" She jumped and took to the skies. I turned around and looked back at my home, or what used to be it. The old, weathered stone of the temples almost seemed to glitter in the moonlight, and I could swear I saw my parents waving from the front gates. I knew they couldn't see me, but I waved back, anyway.

I kept the temple in my sights until it was just a dot on the horizon, then turned back and looked in front of me, at the orange-pink sunset peeking from behind the storm clouds.

And so begins my new life.

**---**

Wrote this one at like 10:30 at night, so please forgive any typos/things I may have left out, as, 1: I was tired, and 2: I didn't have my glasses on, so I couldn't see the computer screen very well. XD

And, I learned something new today- I'm even worse at writing for adults than I am for babies! I should probably just stick to kids. (Which is why I am writing this story about Yuki and Aang!)

Please review if you liked it, or if you hated it, or if you're kind of on the fence about it! Whether you're logged in or not, please share your opinion! Your reviews really make my day! :)


	7. Chapter 6

AND ANOTHER CHAPTER! LOL, this is proving to be a really fun story to write. Much more serious than I'm used to... but still really fun!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or anything related to it...

**Chapter 6**

_*7 years later! And, yes, I skip around a lot. Get used to it! XD *_

I awoke to the same surroundings I did everyday- my little room in a giant apartment complex. It was kind of cozy; just a bed, a side table, and a chair in the corner, but it felt so much like home to me now...

Ah, home. I don't know why, but I cry whenever I think of home again... remembering my parents, and Aang... I could only wonder where he was now.

I got up out of my bed and opened the window blinds. The sky was surprisingly dark- I would've thought it was nighttime had the clock on the wall not said it was almost lunchtime.

The storm clouds rumbled in the distance, and faraway flashes of lightning provided the only illumination over the city, reflecting off of the bell tower in the next town as it chimed noon.

Something wasn't right...

I hurried up and got dressed, rushing downstairs. The building was dead silent, not a good sign. Mr. Ling's screaming about how his cat escaped again should've woken me up, but instead, I found his door, just left of mine, to still be locked. No light shone from under it.

I headed down the last flight of stairs to see the building's keeper, Ms. Hiran, a kind and gentle lady, though about 5 billion years old, sweeping the floors with her slightly ratty broom.

"Good morning, Yuki." She greeted me.

"Good morning, Ms. Hiran..." I mumbled. "The building's awfully quiet today, don't you think?"

"Ah, yes. Stormy weather always seems to make old people sleepy." She gave me a faint smile. "But not me. I've always woken up early, soon as the sun rises."

"Mm." I nodded. She was such a hard working woman, and she took such good care of me when I first came to the city. Truly one of the kindest people I've ever met...

"Should I get to work?" I asked. Along with Ms. Hiran and several of the other occupants of the apartments, I helped keep up the building, doing random chores around the floors to pay for rent.

"Ah, yes, sure." She nodded. "I think some of the plants need watering..."

"Okay." I grabbed the watering can, preparing to head outside to the water pump and fill it.

Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder cracked and boomed, shaking the building. However, perfectly clear, I heard the knock at the front door.

I opened it to see a messenger, holding his satchel with one hand, a letter in the other.

"Good afternoon." He greeted me, and I pretty much truly realized that it was noon. "Is there a miss..." He stared at the ribbon tied around the scroll. "Yuki Sumiko here?"

"Ah, yes, that's me." I nodded, and he handed the letter to me. "Thank you. Be careful out there, there's a storm brewing."

"Thank you, miss." We bowed to each other, and he headed off on his way. I closed the door and examined the letter. Probably another one from mom... we'd started out sending tons of letters to each other, every day, but now we weren't in touch as much...

The ribbon on the letter was clearly addressed to me, but as I peeled it away, I noticed something strange. A black wax stamp right under the knotted ribbon.

I blinked. Aren't you supposed to use a black ribbon instead? Black wax is only used for death reports...

Oh, no.

I opened the letter as fast as I could, being careful not to rip the delicate scroll.

_**Yuki,**_

_**There's not much time.**_

_**The Fire Nation is attacking.**_

_**I can only hope this letter can get to you, and not get caught and burned in their attacks.**_

_**I love you dearly, and though I know I will not make it through this alive, I always will.**_

_**Do not send help, as it will be too late. Stay right where you are, and please, don't do anything rash.**_

_**We will meet again.**_

_**Your father and I love you dearly.**_

_**~Mom**_

I dropped to my knees, burying my face in my hands. The scroll fell to the ground as thunder cracked once again. I struggled to wipe the tears as they fell, but I couldn't.

"Yuki! Yuki, dear, are you okay?" Ms. Hiran bent down as best she could for her old age and stroked my back. I shook my head spastically, mumbling "they're gone, they're gone"... it was all my mind could form at the moment.

I had no idea how long I was there, but when I finally calmed down enough to open my eyes and look up, about half the people who inhabited the building were crowded around me, concerned looks across their faces.

"Yuki, what happened?" One girl- Ayanna, I think was her name- asked me.

"I-..." I mumbled, looking back down at the scroll, now partly smudged from tears, and back up at the circle of people that surrounded me. I tried my best to keep from breaking down again as I stood up, dusted myself off, mumbled something that I think was supposed to sound like "I need to lie down for a moment", and walked back up the stairs to my little room.

There, I flopped down on my bed and buried my face in my pillow. I wish I could just die right now... like all the others did.

More tears flowed. They were all gone... I just knew it. There was no way they could've escaped. The--

"Have you seen Fluffy?" Mr. Ling knocked on my door.

"Go away." I mumbled into my pillow.

"Okay, sorry." I heard his footsteps clunk as he headed downstairs. He should really think of wearing quieter shoes...

Okay, back to where I was. Mr. Ling was a nice distraction, though it was only temporary. My entire family was gone. Probably including Aang...

No, Yuki. Aang's the Avatar... he's still alive... right?

Yes, he has to be alive. He _has_ to be...

**---**

Another one I wrote while staying up past my bedtime!! XD This one was a little harder to write... especially since, right now, Yuki's, like, 23 or 24, and you know how I have a hard time writing for adults (hence the somewhat cheesy letter from Yuki's mother...).

So, she survived the attacks on the Air Temples from the Fire Nation! Yaaaay! But, now, what happens next?

... I'm not sure! I'll have to get started on the next chapter!

Please review if you liked it! Just click that little button down there that says "review this story/chapter"! Your reviews make my day, and you know that constructive criticism is more than welcome! :)


	8. Chapter 7

Short, filler-ish chapters shall TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!

Yeah... it took, like, 5 billion tries to upload this to the site. Dunno why... but it eventually worked! Sorry if I don't post for ages at a time, since I'm busy with homeschooling and chores and stuff... but, today, my parents and some people who work at the post office found an Indian burial ground in our backyard! XD That could make a good story...

ANYWHO, here's the next chapter! :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar...

**Chapter 7**

*Maybe... let's say a day later. Yes! A DAY LATER!*

How long had I been here, exactly?

I looked up from my pillow and around my room. The storm had passed, and the sun shone brightly through fluffy white clouds. The bell tower in the next city chimed noon- it'd been at least a day.

Oh, man... everyone's gone. Everyone! I was the only one that escaped! I should've been back there. I could've fought, we could've won, the Fire Nation wouldn't have killed my family...

Aang. Oh, no! Where is he now? He was at the Southern Air Temple, last I knew... oh no, oh no... the Fire Nation probably reached him by now!

I flopped back onto my bed, feeling the tears come again. This is horrible. The Fire Nation... they're so... ruthless! Ugh, don't they know how many families they're destroying?!

They have to be stopped, or else who knows what else will happen! But no one can even get to the Fire Nation nowadays. It's completely closed off to all surrounding nations...

"What do I do?" I mumbled to myself.

"Miu!" I heard from the corner of the room. I looked over and saw a fluffy white cat standing in the windowsill, blending in with the clouds on the horizon.

"Fluffy...?" I asked. I'd honestly never seen Fluffy in my entire life.

"Miu!" The cat hopped down from the windowsill and up onto my bed, purring contentedly as she lay on my lap.

"Ugh. What do I do..." I whispered again.

"Miu!" Fluffy hopped up and pranced over to the door. Okay, this cat is really starting to freak me out.

"Just... just go back to Mr. Ling." I shook my head. I couldn't let a cat get in the way of this. No, I couldn't. I had to do this.

I hopped up and rummaged under my bed. Wow, I didn't know this much stuff could fit under the bed.

I pulled out some spare sheets, a book covered in dust so thick I couldn't even make out the title on the spine, several boxes of who knows what...

Ah, here. The bag I'd taken from the Northern Air Temple. It had all my stuff in it, though I never needed it here in the Earth Kingdom.

I slung it over my shoulder and headed out the door, trying not to think for fear that I might realize what I was doing was wrong. Was it wrong? Wait, stop, don't think. Yes, don't think.

... okay, this is not working. I know this is wrong. You should go back to your apartment, Yuki. GO!

But still, I found myself walking down several flights of stairs, down to the lobby, where Ms. Hiran stood, sweeping the floors as usual.

"Yuki, dear!" She called as soon as she saw me. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." I nodded solemnly.

"What's the bag for, deary?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm leaving." I said with as straight a face as I could mention. Ms. Hiran looked back at me with... almost an understanding look on her face. "I... I don't know when I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"The Fire Nation."

**---**

And, by now, you all pretty much know what's gonna happen. But I do not care! Because I am the master of... PLOT TWISTS!!! Muahaha.

Reviews are very welcome! Just click that little button down there that says "review this story/chaper"! Whether you're signed in or not, I love reading your reviews! And constructive criticism is always welcome and taken into consideration! :)


	9. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar!

**Chapter 8**

"The Fire Nation?" Ms. Hiran turned pale. I understood completely- the Fire Nation was, nowadays, a country that was greatly feared, a country of destruction and shattered people.

"Yes." I nodded grimly, then, noticing that Ms. Hiran looked like she was about to faint, quickly changed my expression to one of pleading. "Please, Ms. Hiran. I have to do this. T-they killed my parents."

"Oh, honey..." She shook her head slowly, now having the same pleading expression I did on her face. She was a very beautiful old lady, and I only hoped I could age as well as she did, if I made it through this... _if_. Man, I hate that word.

"Yuki, revenge is not the answer. Please, listen to me. You must stay here. You cannot go to the Fire Nation."

"I-I'm sorry, Ms. Hiran. I have to."

"No, you don't. Please, I am begging you. The Fire Nation are a ruthless people. Who knows what they'll do to you when they see you? Or find out you're from the Air Temples? They'll do the same to you that they did to your family. Please, Yuki. I don't want to lose you to them."

Tears started welling up in my eyes. She was right, but that wasn't going to change my mind.

"I'm sorry." I said once again. "But this is something I need to do. I need to finish the deeds of the dead."

My mind flashed to Aang again. Was he alive? If so, where was he? Was he okay?

Ms. Hiran looked down sadly. "He's going to be okay, Yuki."

I blinked twice. Did she just read my mind, or was it that obvious?

"Aang is the Avatar. He can do things for himself. You need to stop being such a good sister to him. Let him fight his own fights."

I shook my head slowly. "I don't even know if he's alive. I don't want to take any chances. I don't want the destruction to reach here."

Ms. Hiran looked up again, trying to think of something to say. She was going to do everything in her willpower to keep me here, keep me safe, keep me protected...

Protection, that's what this is all about. I couldn't protect my parents, my people, the rest of the nomads, my brother... now I had to do everything I could to protect the rest of the world.

"I'm sorry." I whispered for the last time, biting my lip to hold back the tears. I hugged Ms. Hiran quickly, and then hurried out the door.

I looked behind me and saw the lady's sad, regretful, almost dreading face staring back at me, bidding me farewell.

For the last time.

I stared ahead of me, at the gloomy city. News of the defeat of the Air Temples had spread, causing a black veil to be spread over the sky, almost in mourning. Rain poured down for the second time today, but no lightning, no thunder. Just gloomy rain, heated by the smoke rising from the chimneys of the houses, falling down on my face and mixing with the fresh tears.

I knew I'd never see this town again. But I had to do this. For my family, for my people...

_For Aang._

**---**

CHEESY ENDING, YAY! :D Also, WRITER'S BLOCK, YAY! And, last but not least, FILLER CHAPTER, YAY!!

Ahh... I'd been putting this one off for awhile. I'm getting more descriptive of this stuff, I think! Maybe!

Heh, almost had a "Green Day" reference in here... originally, it was "a country that was greatly feared, a country of destruction and broken dreams", but then, the second I typed that, that song got stuck in my head... XD So I changed it to something that made a bit more sense.

And, on a topic completely not related to this story, but more related to Avatar in a way, I found a song called "The Mighty Ride of the Firelord" today while browsing youtube for some writer's-block-destroying songs. And that one proved to be a good one!! I listened to it while writing this chapter, though I don't know why.

Anywho... yeah! Reviews and criticism, please! I love reading your reviews, and take every bit of criticism into consideration!

So click that button down there that says "Review This Story/Chapter"!

*P.S. Long author's note, yay!*


	10. Chapter 9

Quick clearing-up of some things in the story!

-Yuki is 13 when Aang is taken away, 16 when she leaves for the Earth Kingdom, and 23 going on 24 when she leaves for the Fire Nation.

-I'm trying to stick with the general storyline of Avatar for this story- in other words, I want this story to make sense. Like, say, you just finished watching the last episode of Avatar, then read this. My goal is for you to be like "yeeeah, that definitely could've happened!". I don't want the story to interfere with the general storyline of the show.

-Yuki miiiiight meet up with Aang again... maybe-kinda-sorta-I'll have to think about it. XD This is actually a re-written version of a story I posted on the Avatar Fanfiction Boards on the Nickelodeon website, but I couldn't have it be like this because those fanfiction boards are STRICT with a capital S.

I apologize if I don't update the story with new chapters for a semi-extended period of time, because sometimes I get bad cases of writer's block. Like, when Yuki decided she was going to go to the Fire Nation. I typed that, and then I was like "... what next?" So, yeah.

ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar!

**Chapter 9**

I hurried down to the dock, hoping to get there before the increasingly bad rain shut it down for the day.

"Hello, miss." A man greeted me as I ran in the front door.

"Hi." I panted. "Could you possibly get me on a ferry?"

"Sure." He nodded. "Where to?"

"The Fire Nation."

"... um..." He stared down at the desk. He wasn't that old, and I could tell this was probably his first or second day on the job. "I... don't think... the ferries go that way... I can get you one to Ba Sing Se, though."

"Um, thanks, but no. I need to get to the Fire Nation."

"I'm sorry, but the Fire Nation's closed off... no one can get in. It's, like, blocked off or something. Sorry."

I mentally sighed. I really hadn't taken this into factor.

"Listen, I will pay you a hundred- no, two hundred gold coins." I reached into my bag and pulled out a sack. I opened it on the desk and the coins spilled out. The boy stared at it with wide eyes, like it was some sort of treasure he'd just dug up in his backyard. "If you get me on a ferry to the Fire Nation."

"I..." He blinked and rubbed his eyes, then stared off to the side. "Sorry... I still can't. It's against the rules."

"What rules?!" I practically screamed.

"I'm sorry! My boss says, 'no ferries to the Fire Nation.'" He badly impersonated someone with a deeper voice.

"No, I..." I mumbled, still reflecting on my screaming beforehand. Was I really willing to do this that much? "I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry for taking up your time, and-"

"Is there a problem here?" An older man walked up. He was fairly pudgy, and had a long, fuzzy mustache, curled at the ends. It looked so stiff that I could probably hang my bag off one end of it if I wanted to.

"Um, she was asking for a ferry to the Fire Nation, and she's willing to pay..." The younger boy gestured to the spilled-out coins on the desk.

The older man stared down it with the same wide eyes the younger boy had. He then looked back up at me.

"Did you rob a bank or something?" He asked.

"No." I shook my head. To tell you the truth, I'd been saving up that money for several years. I just knew I'd have to do something important with it eventually... "Just, could you please get me a ferry to the Fire Nation? It's really important."

"I..." The man stared down at the gold for a few more minutes, then turned to the boy, still standing at the desk, having not moved a muscle. "Lee! Get this lady a ferry to the Fire Nation this instant!"

I mentally sighed again, but for a much better reason.

"Yes, sir." The younger boy nodded, then ran off to where the boats were docked.

"I'm terribly sorry if I kept you waiting-" The man started to say.

"No, no, it's no problem." I shook my head.

"If I may ask... why, exactly, must you go to the Fire Nation?" He stared in my eyes. I could practically read his mind. He thought I was a spy for the Fire Nation... I could easily pass for a Fire Nation citizen, my hair being dark, my skin pale, and my eyes a neutral grey. My clothes were probably the only thing that gave away that I lived in the Earth Kingdom.

"I... it's a family issue." I blinked and nodded. Yes, that's good. "Family issue" sounds a lot better than "Gonna go squash some Fire Nation people because I think that they killed the Avatar".

"Mm." He nodded slightly as the younger boy- Lee, I think was his name- came running back up.

"Um, I have a ferry ready... but I asked the captain, and he said, quote, 'I wouldn't take even the Earth King himself to the Fire Nation, so you're outta luck.'"

Okay, I really sighed this time.

"But!" Lee said. "Um, I would be willing to captain the vessel..."

"Lee, it's your second day on the job!" The older man said. I was right.

"Yes, but I've known how to pilot a sailing vessel ever since I was little... my father was a sailor, and-"

"You are not going to go to the Fire Nation, Lee."

"Please! Um, I'm used to this, and I've gone long distances in ships before, and it's no problem, really." Lee mumbled, pausing every couple of words to look down at his shoes.

"... you're sure?" The older man asked.

"Uh, yes!" Lee nodded so hard that I almost thought he was going to snap his neck.

"All right then." The older man turned to me. "Looks like you're going to the Fire Nation after all, little lady."

_All right!_

**---**

AAAND ANOTHER ONE WRITTEN LATE AT NIGHT! Hee-hee, I'm still giggling at the word "squash". It's so funny. Squash squash squash. Okay, I'm done now.

Too many filler chapters, I know!! But it's going to get more action-y once I determine how many words are in a "too long" chapter, so I may avoid those instead of writing chapters of a thousand words or less.

I think I just spoiled a little bit of the plot there accidentally, what with the "squash some fire nation people because I think that they killed the avatar" thing. But whatever.

LOL, I can't wait to write the scene where Yuki squashes some Fire Nation soldiers of some sort. "Hey, you!" "Yeah-" "*SQUASH* Who's next?" And now the word "squash" is stuck in my head, and I'll be hysterically giggling and unable to fall asleep tonight.

ANYWHO, if you liked that chapter, and want to see Yuki squash some Fire Nation soldiers of some sort, please click that little button down there that says "review this story/chapter"!


	11. Chapter 10

Yaaaay, 10th chapter!! This calls for some cereal, since I just woke up. XD

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar... but just think what would happen if I did:

Zuko: I love you, Katara!

Katara: I love you, too, Zuko! *ultra-hug*

... yeah, probably a good thing that I don't own Avatar. Anywho, on with the chapter!

**Chapter 10**

I hurried onto the boat, not wanting to waste any time. This was something that had to be done _now_. Well, about 2 weeks from now, since sailboats can't go very fast...

I mentally sighed. Aang was definitely dead- or would at least be by the time I got to the Fire Nation. But this was becoming less about Aang and more about revenge. Once again, I thought about turning back. _No_, I said to myself. I _have_ to do this.

I forced myself onto the boat. Lee was already on, and was starting to untie the boat when...

"Excuse me!" A boy ran up. He had nearly black hair, the palest skin I'd ever seen, and brown eyes. He stopped to catch his breath, then hurried up to the side of the boat. "Uh- *pant* is this boat *pant* going to the Fire Nation?"

"Yes." Lee shouted from the other side of the boat. Wow, he's fast.

"Um, I was wondering- *pant* would it be possible if... if I could tag along?" The boy asked.

"I'm not sure-" Lee started.

"Yes." I said. "Yes, you can certainly join us."

"Oh, thank you." He bowed quickly and boarded the ship. I could see him closer now- he had on the typical Earth Kingdom school uniform, and didn't look much older than Aang would have been right around now.

He sat down on one of the attached benches on deck to catch his breath.

"May I ask why, exactly, you're going to the Fire Nation?" I asked, sitting down next to him.

"Oh. Well, um, my father sent me to a boarding school here, and... um..." He mumbled, trailing off. "Why are you going to the Fire Nation? I thought it was closed off."

"Gonna go squash some Fire Nation people 'cause I think they killed the Avatar." I wasn't even going to try to hide it anymore.

"Oh-kay." He scooted a little farther away from me. "Have fun with that..."

"Yuki, may I speak to you for a moment?" Lee came up and stood in front of me. His figure was nearly black, a shadow in the sun shining behind him. That's weird, I don't remember it stop raining...

"Sure." I shrugged and followed Lee to the small captain's quarters on the vessel.

"What are you thinking? We can't just take him along!" He hissed.

"Whoa, what happened to you? I thought you were on my side." I said.

"I am! I'm not on his side, though! He's Fire Nation, I can tell! And-- wait." Lee stared directly at me. Actually, he was a little off in the dim light, so his piercing stare was directed more towards a bolt on the wall... "I know why you want him to come along. You're Fire Nation, aren't you?"

"No." I said plainly.

"Yes, you are! I can see it in your eyes."

"You're staring at a bolt on the wall, Lee." I mumbled. I grabbed either side of his face and adjusted the direction his head was pointed in so it was fixated on my face. "Look at me, Lee. I am not Fire Nation."

"Then who are you?"

"The Avatar's sister."

**---**

MORE SHORT CHAPTERS!! I kinda really sorta want Lee and Yuki to be in a relationship, too... but I'm not really one for romance. Well, I'm definitely one for reading it. Just not writing it. XD

And free virtual cookie for anyone who can guess who the mystery Fire Nation boy is!!

If you liked that chapter, or want to see some Leeki (random shipping name XD ), or think you know who the mystery Fire Nation boy is, or all of the above, or none of the above, then please click that little button down there that says "review this story/chapter"!

P.S. Squash. *bursts out into hysteric laughter* Okay, I'm good now.

P.S.S. I think I'm gonna change the rating of this story to T, just to warn you. When Yuki goes to squash some Fire Nation people, it might get bloody. In fact, it will get bloody. At least, the way I write it, it will. I'm not one for whimsical violence and 'forgiveness'. That's Aang's thing. XD (I use the XD too much.)


	12. Chapter 11

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile... I'm insanely lazy. (As if you didn't know that already. XD )

Quick little warning for upcoming chapters- it gets violent! Kinda! Well, violent for my standards... of course, if someone falls and scrapes their knee, I count that as violence, so yeah. (But the upcoming violence will be a lil' more than that... just warning ya'.)

Uhh... yeah. And, sorry if I keep not-posting-for-awhile, since sometimes I can run myself into walls with these things... it'll be like "oh my gosh suspense suspense suspense--- aaaand what next? hmm... I'll do it later." and come back, like, a week later with an idea. Sooo, yeah. Sorry. XD

DISCLAIMER! I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar! Probably a good thing I don't, either. Or else stuff like this fanfiction would happen!

**Chapter 11**

Lee's face paled. He let go of my shirt and backed away as far as he could in the tiny room.

"Y-you're not..." He shook his head. Quite frankly, I think he would've been less shocked if I said I was the Fire Lady.

He pressed his back against the wall, trying to put as much space between him and I as possible. "Y-you can't be... the Fire Nation killed all the Air Nomads..."

"Except me." I said. "Now do you understand why I have to go to the Fire Nation?"

"Y-yes. Yes, ma'am." He squeaked. "Please don't kill me."

"Why would I?"

He slid farther down on the wall until he was sitting on the cold metal floor. "B-because y-you want to get revenge on the Fire Nation..."

"But you're not Fire Nation, Lee. Are you?" I crouched down to his level and looked him square in the eyes. Even in the dark of the room, I could see him nod slightly. Okay, my turn to be shocked.

"Wh..." I mumbled. I stared at him with wide eyes for what seemed like forever.

"P-please, if you're going to kill me, just do it now." Lee closed his eyes, anticipating being squashed. Sorry, I'll stop using that word now.

I contemplated what to do. He was Fire Nation. He could easily turn on me... turn on the little boy who's tagging along with us. What if the little boy turns on us? Gosh, is everyone Fire Nation nowadays?

But, then again, if I kill Lee, I have no experience with boats, so I wouldn't be able to get to the Fire Nation. But if I don't, he could end up killing me.

**---LITTLE FIRE NATION BOY'S POINT OF VIEW---**

I sat on the deck of the boat, on a bench.

Waiting, waiting.

I wonder what's taking them so long...

I hope I don't have to wait much longer to get back to the Fire Nation. Ever since their attack on the Air Temples, all the Fire Nation citizens are being expelled, basically, from the Earth Kingdom, including me. Though I didn't do anything.

I was kinda worried for Aang. I mean, he lived at the Southern Temple, and that was, like, the first one that was attacked. I sure hope he's all right...

Yeah, Kuzon. He's all right, don't worry. He probably ran away by now or something- and I wouldn't blame him. It was boring there.

**---BACK TO YUKI'S POINT OF VIEW---**

I placed my hand on Lee's shoulder. He jolted and whimpered slightly before realizing I wasn't hurting him.

"Lee." I commanded. His eyes snapped open and stared into mine, glittering with fear. "I honestly do not care where you are from, so long as you get me to the Fire Nation. But listen to me. You try to kill me, I kill you. Got it?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." He nodded frantically.

"And stop calling me that."

"Y-yes, ma- I mean, Yuki."

"And another question, Lee." I asked him.

"Yes?"

"How did you know my name in the first place?"

**---**

ANOTHER SHORT CHAPTER! But it had to be, if I could make it a cliffhanger. XD I, myself, face-palmed when I read the previous chapter and was like "wait, why'd he address her 'Yuki' when she never mentioned her name...?"

So, yes. Leeetle cliffy.

AND IT'S KUZON! KUUUUZZOOON! YAAAAYY! And I just noticed. The letters in "Kuzon" can be rearranged to spell "Zuko" with an "N" left over. Yaaay, I have too much time on my hands!!

Yuki's getting to be pretty, um... how do I say this? Tough. Yes, we'll leave it at "tough". It's kinda weird, in the first couple of chapters, she was so sweet and nice, and then BOOM, fire nation supposedly killed Aang, and she goes off squashing people. Sorry, used the "S" word again. I CANNOT RESIST THE SQUASH!! XD

Anywhoooo, if you liked that chapter, want to know more about Lee, or Kuzon, or whatever, please click that button down there that says "review this story/chapter"!


	13. Chapter 12

Sorry for the suckish, filler chapters... I am working on speeding up the time frame a little, and getting Yuki to the Fire Nation faster so she can go ahead and get to killin' some fire nation peoples. (Just not Lee and Kuzon.)

Oh, and FREE VIRTUAL COOKIES!! One for AnnieSometimes, one for Punkyvb! Both for correctly guessing the identity of the little Fire Nation boy!!

DISCLAIMER! I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar!

**Chapter 12**

His face paled again. He blinked several times before looking off to the side, trying to think of an answer.

"Tell me." I said firmly, grabbing his shoulder tighter.

"I..." He mumbled.

"Tell me!" I screamed, grabbing both his shoulders this time and shaking him. I could hear the dull clangs as his head collided with the steel wall. I wanted to know how he knew my name. Was he a spy? If he was, he must've been at the Air Temples at one point. He was one of them! One of the Fire Nation! He killed Aang.

"I don't know!" He winced.

"Yes, you do. Tell me or else!" I jolted him one last time, and this time I could swear I heard a crack. Wait, is he okay?

"A-are you all right?" I asked, the flare in my temper suddenly gone and replaced for... some sort of concern for this guy.

"Mm." He mumbled. Okay, Fire Nation or not Fire Nation, he's a person, too, and he doesn't deserve this type of torture. Wait, why'd that sound like Aang...?

"I--" I said. "I-I'm sorry. It's... just... how do you know who I am?"

"My father was a Fire Nation spy..." He winced. I couldn't see or smell any blood, but it was apparent that he was seriously hurt. "I'm sorry... he lead the invasion on the Air Temples..."

The flare was back again.

"What?" I asked. I didn't dare to hurt Lee any further, but I wanted to. Ohh, did I want to.

"I'm sorry." He moaned.

"Here, hold still." I said out of the blue. I slid my hand into the small space between Lee's head and the wall, feeling for any injuries. "Where does it hurt?"

"Right-- ow! There!" He winced suddenly. I ran my fingers across the spot. I couldn't feel any dislodged chunks of bone, so it looked like I'd only bruised him. Thank goodness...

"You're not hurt too seriously. Just a bruise. It'll heal in a few days. Sorry." I said.

"Mm." He nodded. I gently stroked the bruise, trying to examine the damage without hurting Lee further.

A sudden creak was heard. It was low, screechy, and seemed to last forever. A small sliver of light illuminated the room as the steel door was opened, farther and farther, until it was somewhat ajar. The sudden change of light hurt my eyes.

The young Fire Nation boy stood behind it.

"Oh, sorry!" He exclaimed, seeing the position that Lee and I were in. I immediately backed away, my hand slipping from behind Lee's head. It collided with the wall, causing Lee to groan in pain.

"Oops, sorry." I whispered.

"Um. I was... um... just wondering... when, um, we're going to leave- excuse me!" The boy slammed the door and I heard footsteps running out on the deck.

I mentally facepalmed myself. That didn't just happen, did it? I'd almost completely forgotten about the little Fire Nation boy until now.

I stood up and headed for the door. Upon opening it, I hadn't heard anything from Lee.

I turned around to see him, still on the floor, pressed up against the wall, staring at the other side of the closet-like room.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked him.

"I-I'll be out in a minute." He said.

"Okay." I wasted no time and headed back out onto the deck of the ship.

**---KUZON'S POINT OF VIEW---**

The lady came out of the small cabin. I really hadn't had a good chance to look at her until now.

_She was hot!_

And possibly Fire Nation... I don't know, it was really kinda hard to tell.

"Is there something wrong?" I heard from beside me. I spun around, just to see that she'd somehow moved over and sat down on the bench.

"N-nope." I shook my head.

There was a very awkward silence.

"I'm Kuzon." I said.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yuki." The lady nodded. Yuki... where have I heard that name before?

Oh, wait, that's right. She's--

"All right, sorry about that. We'll be leaving in just a second." The- who I supposed was- captain walked out of the same cabin.

... darn, what was I about to say?

**---**

Hee-hee. Kuzon's so cute. He's actually kinda turning out to be an Aang-like character... rrgh. I can't come up with an original character to save my life. XD

Anywhooooo... slightly longer chapter than usual... I promise, the action will get more action-y in the next couple o' chapters. I'm actually trying to calculate how long it would take to get from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation on a boat... hmm, let's see, if the boat moves at an average of 10 miles per hour... and the Fire Nation would be... a few thousand miles away... hmm... *goes out and gets new calculator*

And, at the suggestion of my sister, we watched the Avatar Animated Graphic Novel that came with the Book 2 box set... which has given me slightly more insight to the spirit world! (I'll need it near the end of the story... but I won't tell you why. Muahaha.)

ANYWHO! If you liked that chapter, or thought it sucked, then please click that button down there that says "review this story/chapter"!! I enjoy reading your reviews, whether you're signed in or not! :)


	14. Chapter 13

Here is the next chappie! Sorry I haven't been writing lately. I've been sick the past couple of days, but that's really no excuse, since I've just had a sore throat, and that doesn't really affect my typing... XD Maybe I could say my fingers temporarily fell off...? Fingerfalloffitis. Yes, that's it. I HAD FINGERFALLOFFITIS! But I got better.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar. If only I did, though... let's just say that a certain Fire Nation prince and a certain Avatar would be making out every 5 minutes. *muahaha*

**Chapter 13**

*Since I have estimated (AKA guessed randomly) that it would take at least a month or so to get from the western Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation, I will skip to...

_ONE MONTH LATER_!*

**---back to Yuki's POV (Point Of View)---**

I really didn't speak much to Lee or Kuzon on the ship. Being surrounded by Fire Nation people can make you nervous when you're plotting to squ-- I mean, kill some of their people. Kinda makes you feel... guilty. Should I really be doing this?

_No._

Where'd that come from?

I looked around my small room onboard the boat. No one was there. I could swear I heard a little boy... maybe that Kuzon kid is playing pranks on me...

_Yuki, don't do it._

Okay, I could really hear it that time. Am I going insane on this boat? Apparently so. Ugh, this is why I hate traveling on water... stupid hallucinations...

_Please, Yuki._

"SERIOUSLY!" I screamed, grabbing my pillow and throwing it in the direction of the noise. Unfortunately, the direction of the noise was my head, so I ended up hitting myself. Maybe I should think before I start throwing pillows at things.

I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." I mumbled through the pillow.

"Um..." The Kuzon kid walked in.

"You were the one who was talking." I said.

"... about what?" He blinked several times.

"I heard someone. They sounded a lot like you." I mumbled.

"... but, I wasn't in this room... I was out on the deck." The kid said, gesturing towards the door.

"Just forget it." I shook my head and set the pillow back on my bed.

"Oh-kay... well, um, Lee just wanted me to tell you that we're probably going to reach the Fire Nation by tomorrow."

"Good." I sighed. "I'm more than ready to get off this freakin' boat."

"Me, too."

There was a very long, awkward silence in the room. You could probably be able to hear a feather drop. And it'd be loud as if you'd dropped a brick.

"So, um, what was it that you were planning to do when you got to the Fire Nation?" Kuzon asked. Seriously, this kid couldn't remember what he had for breakfast, could he?

"You've forgotten?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"All right, then." I approached him until there was barely a couple feet between us. "Listen closely. I am going to the Fire Nation to kill some Fire Nation soldiers in order to get revenge for the Avatar."

_Don't do it, please!_

I snapped my head to the side. Where was that voice coming from?!

I looked back at Kuzon, who seemed to not have heard it. Seriously, I'm insane.

"O-okay." Kuzon nodded. "I get that part. But, um, how... and why... and define 'soldiers'."

"How? With this." I held up my weapon of choice, and Kuzon's face seemed to pale. "Why? The Fire Nation killed my brother. Define 'solders'? I am not going to tell you, because you..." I poked him with one end of the weapon. "Are Fire Nation."

"..." He nodded frantically, and I returned to my side of the room.

Several minutes passed, in which the only sound in the room was the clanking of Kuzon's hairpiece against the wall as he trembled.

Soon, the trembling stopped, and the kid spoke up.

"Um... you're the Avatar's sister?" He asked.

"Yes. Any other questions?" I replied.

"N-no, ma'am."

Another awkward pause.

"B-but, my friend told me something once. He said that revenge was like a two-headed ratviper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

"How charming. Your friend sounds like an airhead." I mumbled.

"Aang is not an airhead!" The young boy stood up for his friend.

Wait.

Aang?

I spun around and grabbed the kid by his shirt, practically lifting him in the air. He emitted a small squeak.

"Aang?" I asked. "T-that's my brother! Y-you knew my brother?"

"I don't know! I-is Aang the Avatar?"

"Yes! Yes, he is! A-and you knew him, and ooh!!" I hugged the boy tightly before suddenly letting go.

Okay, maybe I should lay off the sugar...

**---**

I AM LAZYYYYYY! Sorry I haven't written for (what is to me) a long time. I just didn't know where to go from the last chapter. But then I did! And I wrote this! Yay!!

Uuum, and, yeah. That's about it. *nods* Wow, short author's note. I shall lengthen it!

I

LIKE

PIE!

There, that's a bit better. XD Soooo, yeah! Uuuh. Gonna go work on homework now.

And while I read about tropical climate zones, you can click that little button down there that says "review this story/chapter"! I love reading your reviews! :)

Oh, and P.S. free virtual crepe (yes, I am random) to anyone who can guess (doesn't have to be correct) what Yuki's weapon of choice is!

Bye-bee!


	15. Chapter 14

I be back! Ahh... trick-or-treating. Though we really didn't do much of it this year since my family's afraid of the "plague". *wah wah waaaah.*

Anywho, sorry for not posting in... *counts* forever and a year. XD I've been having writer's block. Serious writer's block. *sigh*

DISCLAIMER! I do not own Avatar, or anything related to Avatar. Except this little Aang doll, but I don't think that counts.

**Chapter 14**

"Um. A-are you okay?" Kuzon asked.

"Mm. Yeah. Fine." I nodded spastically.

"S-so... Aang's really... the avatar?"

"Mm." I nodded again.

"... ha! Good one."

"You think it's a joke?" I asked him.

"Well, yeah. It's kinda hard not to."

"Well, then, how would I even know who Aang is? Hmmmm?"

"You could be a Fire Nation spy." Kuzon said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"... my gosh." I shook my head.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Go." I shooed him out of the room.

"But-"

"Go!" I whacked him over top of his head with my staff.

"Ow. Okay." He backed slowly out of the room.

Seriously, we weren't going to get to the Fire Nation until tomorrow? Yeesh. It may be too late by then...

_Yuki!_

"Shut up." I mumbled. I was starting to get used to the voice now...

_Yuki, can you hear me?!_

"YES, I CAN HEAR YOU FREAKIN' FINE!" I screamed. "NOW, WHAT IS IT?!"

_Don't do it!_

"I'm not listening to you!" I shouted.

_Please!_

"La la la! I can't hear you!!"

_Yes, you can! Don't do it!_

It seemed like the voice was coming from the ceiling. Ugh...

"Who are you, anyway?!"

_It's me, Yuki! It's Aang!_

I felt my eye twitch several times.

"GET OUT!!" I screamed, throwing my staff up at the ceiling. It hit with a dull clang before clattering to the floor below.

The voice was gone.

There's no way Aang could've been... haunting me or whatever. He was dead. Long gone.

Right?

**---**

Crappy, short, filler chapter, yaaaay. XP

Sorry for posting this little crappy chapter after several weeks of absence. I've been having a pretty bad writer's block. Ugh, I wish Yuki would just get to the Fire Nation already!! (Yes, I, as the writer, seem to have no control over the story. Laugh all you want...)

Aaaand, Yuki's weapon was... A STAFF! Da-da-da-DAAA! (She can't bend, though. Probably should've pointed that out. XD )

So it's just a staff, not an airbending staff. Kinda like a stick. Yeah, essentially, it is a stick. And I'm talking to myself again. No, I'm not! Shut up, yes I am!

Oookay. XD Soooo... I'll try to have the next chappie up faster! If I haven't posted in, like, a week, then it's pretty safe to say that I'm either dead, or having writer's block again (which means I'm pretty much dead, too. XD )


	16. Chapter 15

I died.

No, just kidding. Um. So. Yeah... heh heh... please put down the sharp objects; I didn't mean to forget about this story! I've been busy! With... other stuff.

Anywho. ... next chapter! I hope I've gotten better in the... *counts* nine months that I've been gone... (NO, it wasn't what you think it was. I literally forgot about this story, then was like "oh, yeah... I don't know what should happen next...". But now I know! Yay! Better type this quick before I forget it.)

**-CHAPTER 15! YAY!-**

*still Yuki's POV... wait, was the last chapter in Yuki's POV? ... I dunno. Whatever. YUKI'S POV*

The next few days were uneventful. I mainly stayed in my room, only venturing out to eat and use the bathroom (old boats like these only had one bathroom, it seems. I wonder what happens when there are more than three people on this boat. I remember Kuzon telling me this boat could hold 20 people...).

I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in." I mumbled.

The door opened with a creak- just how old was this boat, anyways?- and Kuzon entered.

"Lee's afraid to talk to you." He said. "But he told me to tell you that we've arrived in the Fire Nation. H-he says sorry for the delay, but we kind of got caught up at the gates*, and that set us back a few days."

"Thanks for telling me." I said, staring up at the ceiling from my bed.

I didn't hear Kuzon leave the room.

"Yes?" I asked.

Kuzon stuttered. "Um." He stared down at the floor as he walked over to my bed.

"Y-Yuki, I know this is probably going to sound crazy, but... I saw Aang in a dream last night."

I shot up. "What? Really?"

"Yeah... he said to tell you that revenge is not an option, and that you should go back to the Earth Kingdom right now."

I seriously wanted to slap this kid right now.

"Nice try, Kuzon, but I have to do this." I grabbed my airbending staff** from under my bed and started to head out of the room.

"He said that you'd say that." Kuzon mumbled. "P-please, Yuki, I've never had a dream about Aang before in my entire life, and it felt so real. I'm really thinking that you shouldn't do this. You might..."

I turned to face him. "I might what?"

"Die."

"That's a price I am willing to pay." I said (probably more seriously than I should have) and walked out of the room.

~*~Do de do~*~

"Yuki." Lee blinked as I walked up to the deck. "I haven't seen you in days."

"Mm." I simply nodded. Well, we were here, all right. The Fire Nation looks different than I thought it would.

Gosh, what do I say? "Thanks for the ride, gotta go kill some of your people, see ya"?

... well, nothing else is coming to mind...

I walked up next to Lee.

"Thanks." I said. "... for everything."

Of course that's all I can come up with.

Wait, why should I care what Lee thinks? He's Fire Nation. He could be one of the people who killed Aang, for all I know.

I turned around and started to walk off the boat when I felt someone grab my wrist. I spun around to see Lee.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"For what?"

"Lying to you. I'm not like them. I've lived in the Earth Kingdom my whole life. What they're doing is horrible, and you deserve revenge."

Finally, someone who agrees with me.

Lee let go of my wrist.

"You should get going. I'm not going to make you wait any longer." He said.

I nodded. "Thank you, Lee."

I walked off of the ship.

Now, how am I going to get to the palace...?

~*~end of chapter 15! Phew.~*~

Short chapter! :D What, you thought my writer's block was cured? Nope!

Anywho. Aaah, you thought I was going to make Yuki and Lee kiss, right? But no. That would've just been an out-of-the-blue relationship, and you know how I am about those. (But still, Yuki and Lee are a cute couple... I need to get him back in the story somewhere, though there will probably only be, like... two, three more chapters.)

*what are they technically called? The Gates of Azulon...? Haven't seen the episode where it was mentioned in awhile.

**I just changed the name to "airbending staff" instead of "staff" because... well, it would make sense for Yuki to have an airbending staff but not be an airbender because an airbending staff could be used as a physical weapon, right?

Random Guy: I'm sorry, but we cannot sell you any pie.

Me: *hits guy with airbending staff*

*shrugs* so, yeah. That's that chapter. I'm starting to get into the groove of this story again... so I shall post more often! (of course, now that I've said that, I'm probably going to end up forgetting about this again and disappearing for a few years or something XD)


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